What things have people done for you that improved the quality of your life?

December 10, 2012 10:30 AM

On your deathbed, you're given the chance to thank people for the tangible, practical things they have done to make your life better, easier, happier; things that touched you, whether big or small, frequent or one-time events. What do you thank them for?

People that I care about are getting older. Some are struggling with conditions that are (or could get) pretty severe, and I'm starting to understand that I'm not going to have them, or anyone, around forever. What are some practical, concrete things I can do to improve the lives of people that I love while they're with me? What things have people done for you that made your life better?

posted by windykites to Human Relations (1 answer total)

I don't know whether my Top Five would include people from the last few years, as opposed to, say, somebody who paid extra attention in 2nd grade and made me believe in myself, or that great mentor in college, or a first love who taught me about what was important, etc. So I'm not sure that your first question is necessarily the same as your second.

But time is usually what matters, especially in later years -- just getting chunks of time to spend hanging out, catching up, paying attention. Depending on the person, it might be nice to do a guided reminiscence, ask about key events or figures of their earlier life, or of what *they* treasure most, or to put together some photos from times you loved spending with them. Older people can also often use some sort of broad-based support, whether that's extra patience with a computer question, or helping detangle the Medicaid literature, or monitoring their ability to handle the increasing complexity of their lives both medical and logistical.

Pretty big questions. More detail might help narrow the advice, but maybe the broad view is more interesting...
posted by acm at 10:40 AM on December 10, 2012